A curated community board for freelance illustrators and comic creators

Weekly Roundup: March 9, 2018

Welcome to Paper Cat Press’s Weekly Roundup, and happy March! In the Weekly Roundup, I provide links and summarized information about the crowdfunded projects, creator opportunities, and resources that have caught my eye over the week. I hope you enjoy!

WARNING! Some content below may feature NSFW content. Links will be marked NSFW!when the content identifies itself as adult material.

As a note: I am not sponsored by any company, group, or individual listed below or elsewhere on this site unless otherwise listed.

Take care and take your time. Your work is more important than ever. Thank you for sharing your originality and openness with the world. You bring light to the days of others, and it is so, so appreciated.

The Eisner Awards are accepting votes for the Eisner Hall of Fame as well as nominations for other Eisner Awards through March 16.

The 2018 Toronto Book Awards is open for submissions of books featuring Toronto content published between June 1, 2017 and May 31, 2018 through April 30. Ebooks and self-published works are not eligible.

The Little, Brown Emerging Artist Award is accepting applications through May 15. Submit mock-ups of picture books featuring a diverse narrative for a chance to receive $1500 in American Express giftcards, a round trip ticket to New York, and a one-day mentorship with Little, Brown Books for Young Readers’ professional children’s book design and editorial team and distinguished Artist Mentor Grace Lin.

Recent Webcomic Debuts

Crowdfunded Projects

Comic creator Ally Rom Colthoff is raising funds on Kickstarter to print and ship their comic Chirault: The Complete Series. Chirault, a comic 11 years in the making, follows a magically-shrunken Teeko and demon-hunting demon Kiran as they quest to find a solution for Teeko’s dilemma, and instead uncover a twenty year old conspiracy. Tier options include digital and physical copies of volumes 1-5, the mini comic “Shenanigans,” sketched and signed bookplates, prints, commissions, and original comic art. The Kickstarter ends on March 14.

Fortuna Media is raising funds on Kickstarter to produce Almost Real: A Speculative Biology Zine (Vol 1). Almost Real will feature over 60 pages of art and writing about imagined creatures with anatomical and functional properties akin to “real” biological forms. Tier options include digital and physical copies of the zine, a pull-out poster, and enamel pins. The Kickstarter ends on March 19.

Prison Witch is running a Kickstarter to raise funds for production and fulfillment of its first volume. Prison Witch is 70-page black and white comic following Cameron Rivers, a woman who is sent to prison and meets a powerful coven of witches once there. Tier options include digital and softcover copies of the book, a signed bookplate, bookmarks, an incense holder, and more. The Kickstarter ends on March 23.

TO Comic Press is running a Kickstarter to fund its anthology Toronto Comics: Osgoode As Gold celebrating local comic newcomers and veterans. The book will feature over 220 pages of full-color comics from over 50 Toronto creators. Tier options include digital and physicl copies of the book, prints, an enamel pin, copies of every book produced by Toronto Comics, commissions, and more. The Kickstarter ends on March 30.

General

Are you a Canadian writer, translator, illustrator, editor, or photographer? Do you have books in public libraries? You may be eligible to receive payment through the Public Lending Right Program! Check to see if you’re eligible and apply by May 1.

The Comic Tea Party is a weekly book club for webcomics. Participate in the Discord chat weekly on Thursdays at 5pm to 7pm PST. Sign your comic up for a chance to have it read and discussed in the group!

Titmouse is looking for background painters, an After Effects animator, a line producer, and interns in Los Angeles, CA. They’re also seeking storyboard artists and revisionists in New York, NY. And in Vancouver, Canada, Titmouse is seeking a 2D animator, background layout artists and designers, storyboard revisionists, and more.

Comics, Illustration, and More

Tabloid Art Zine is seeking submissions of words and/or images exploring the relationship between contemporary culture and art history until March 25. Contributors will not be paid and the zine will be available online for free.

StArt Faire is accepting comics, light novels, articles, tutorials, and ads for their 25th issue through March 29.

24 Panels is accepting submissions of 24 panels or less from comic artists through March 31. They’re also seeking a comics editor! Proceeds will be donated to the mental health care of survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire.

GJB Publishing is accepting applications from illustrators who live with mental health issues for Colours of the Mind through March 31.

The Silent Manga Audition‘s 9th competition event is accepting submissions through March 31. This SMA has a limit of 16 pages or less and a choice of three themes to select from. Comic submissions should be silent and without dialogue.

The European Comic Schools Contest 2018 is accepting submissions of illustrations and one-shot comics from students of European schools teaching comics, digital art, and/or illustration. Entries are due May 10. Winners may win 200-1000 €, A Wacom Intuos tablet, and copies of Clip Studio Paint.

Argot Magazine is seeking written and illustrated submissions about queer and marginalized experiences.

Conventions and Events

Con or Busthas free tickets available for people of color for a number of upcoming conventions, including the SFWA Nebua Conference, the Locus Awards weekend, and WorldCon 76! They’re also offering free digital subscriptions to Locus magazine!

Designers

I created a document where people who have skills in web design and are willing and able to assist comic creators in creating their own websites can list themselves. Feel free to add your name, examples, and prices!

Vibrance: A BNHA Sapphic Fanzine is accepting applications from artists and writers through March 23. Contributors will receive a free digital copy of the zine and a physical copy if the zine breaks even.

Wither and Bloom: A Saeran Fanzine is accepting applications from writers and artists through March 25. Proceeds will be donated to #ENDViolence. Contributors will receive a free copy of the zine but may have to pay shipping costs.

Girl POP! A K-Pop Girl Group Fanzine is accepting applications through March 31. Plans are not yet finalized on whether this zine will be digital only or where proceeds will go to.

A KuroKura zine celebrating the pairing of Kurapika and Kuroro from Hunter x Hunter is accepting submissions from artists and writers through March 31. Proceeds will be donated to charity.

Dress Up Dolls: An OC Zine is accepting submissions of original characters and dress-up outfits for a book benefiting The Trevor Project through April 7. Participants will receive a free physical copy of the book.

Mentorships & Fellowships

Artists of color in Minnesota are encouraged to apply or nominate other artists for the 20/20 Artist Fellowship through March 10. The fellowship provides $20,000 unrestricted cash awards along with $5000 of professional development stipends.

Helioscope’s Mentorship Program is accepting public applications through March 31. The Mentorship Program offers cartoonists early in their career the opportunity to learn from established writers and artists in Portland, Oregon.

The Representation Matters Mentorship Program is accepting applications on a rolling basis from self-identified people of color interested in the publishing industry. Mentorships will last 6 months, with a minimum of one session every two months.

Residencies, Retreats, and Workshops

The James Jones Fellowship Contest is accepting submissions from authors who have not yet published their first novels through March 15. Submit a 2-page summary of your novel, its first 50 pages, and $30 for consideration. The selected recipient will receive $10,000 and will be published in Provincetown Arts.

TRANSIT and the Chicago Publishers Resource Center (CHIPRC) are accepting applications(with $15 fee) for their two-week residency at CHIPRC for non-Chicago residents who create comics and zines. Applications are accepted through March 16.

The 2018 Writing Excuses Retreat is accepting applications for their scholarships through March 12. Two Out of Excuses scholarships will be awarded to those in financial need and two Carl Brandon Society scholarships will be awarded to writers of color.

The Creators for Creators Grant for $30,000 is accepting applications from single artists or writer/artist duos to support the creation of original comics work. Applications will be accepted through March 31.

The Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing is accepting submissions of completed fiction manuscripts from first-generation residents of their country through March 31. Recipients will receive a $10,000 advance and publication by Restless Books.

The Still I Rise Grant for Black American women writers is accepting applications through April 30. Recipients will receive $100 and publication opportunities from Alternating Current Press.

The John Locher Memorial Award is accepting applications from political cartoonists aged 18-25 through June 15. The recipient will receive $1000 and an all-expenses-paid trip to the annual Association of American Editorial Cartoonists.

Western Washington primary and secondary school educators and librarians are invited to apply for the C4C3 Grant to bring more graphic novels and comics into the educational process.

Voice Acting

Writing and Editing

Tabloid Art Zine is seeking submissions of words and/or images exploring the relationship between contemporary culture and art history until March 25. Contributors will not be paid and the zine will be available online for free.

StArt Faire is accepting comics, light novels, articles, tutorials, and ads for their 25th issue through March 29.

Little Tiger is accepting short stories of 2000-5000 words based on the theme of “pride” from unpublished, unagented LGBTQ+ writers through March 30. Selected contributors will be published in the PROUD anthology and will receive £150.

Online monthly magazine The Dark is accepting submissions from 2000 to 6000 words in length. Encouraged genres include horror and dark fantasy, but graphic, violent horror is not desired. Payment is $0.03/word for up to 6000 words. Republishing payment is $0.01/word.

Youth

The Walrus is accepting submissions of short stories of less than 3000 words from Canadian writers age 13-17 for their Youth Author Award through March 30. The winner will receive $5000 and a mentorship lunch with The Walrus editors.

Tor Teen’s Anger Is A Gift essay contest is accepting written submissions from people aged 13 and older through April 30. Winners will receive $5000, have their essay published in Teen Ink, and receive a signed copy of Anger Is A Gift.

I shared some awesome community organizers who do additional work outside of their art and comic work to provide resources to other creators like themselves. Check out this list! And if you know more, tell me about them! I’d love to hear about them 🙂

That’s it for this week! Look out for another post next week with these categories and possibly more. Is there something you’d like to see more of? Something you know about but don’t see here? Let me know!